The London Underground is a marvel of Victorian engineering - the first underground railway in the world and a massive achievement for its age.

It was created in the mid 18th Century to cope with London's growing population and traffic congestion.

The first Tube line was the Metropolitan between Paddington and Farringdon, completed in 1863.

This short stretch of track ran for almost four miles.

One of its finest stations was Baker Street which became the first major hub of the underground system as the system expanded.

The Underground continued to be extended with the Northern line being built in 1890, the first deep level Tube line.

When the Circle line was completed in 1884, the Tube became a fully coherent railway system.

Today London Underground handles over three million passenger journeys every day.

Its vast network takes in over 250 stations, employing more than 12,000 staff.